Draft music policy, Tanzanian rapper tells government

The rapper was speaking last week after he was nominated by the Tanzanian Association of New Music (TUMA) to chair its finance and economic planning committee.

"Art is a very important sector in our country, yet it does not have its own policy or functional office,” he said. “It is unfortunate that at this age musicians are being guided by policies that were drafted for the cultural sector.”

Fid Q said a new policy would streamline the music industry and protect artists by creating favourable conditions while raising revenue. The onus of drafting the new policy had to fall on the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, he said.

Kenya is the only country in the East African region with a formal music policy. This is according Kenyan intellectual property lawyer Richard Sereti, who says the policy is far from full implementation.

"The document was launched in 2015," he said. "However, the most fundamental points in the document such as the setting up of a national music tribunal, which will resolve disputes in the music industry, and the formation of a music industry development fund to provide funding for various music industry activities are yet to be implemented."

Other East African countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Eritrea still rely on the guidelines provided in their respective national cultural policies to develop the music sector.

Ugandan producer Washington told Music In Africa that musicians in that country were looking forward to the introduction of a music policy that would help them to operate in a more organised manner.

“Music policy is still foreign in Uganda, as we have not yet started the process,” he said. “This is one of the reasons as to why we launched a new music association. We believe that an association will make it easier for us to engage the government on such issues.”

The Kenya National Music Policy is attached below.